Fitting for pile-casings.



F. A. KOETITZ.

FITTING FOB FILE GASINGB.

APPLICATION FILED Jun 29, 1909.

Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

FREDERICK A. KOETITZ, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

FITTING FOB PILE CASINGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

Application filed June 29, 1909. Serial No. 505,074.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK A. KOE- a'rrz, citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State of Ca'fornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fittings for Pile-Casings, of which the following is a specification.

My inventionrelates to improvements in the fitting of concrete casingsto driven piles, and for like purposes, where the structure to beprotected is submerged.

The invention consists especially in means for preventing the entranceof mud and water into the space within the casing and around the pile,and in the combination of parts and details of construction which willbe more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figures 1 and 2 are sectional views of my preferred forms ofconstruction. Fig. 3 is a section showing a modification. Fig. 4 is across-section showing the metal shoe in the expanded position. Fig. 5 isa similar view showing the shoe in closed position.

For the purpose of protectin driven piles it is customary to drive aninclosing casing, which may be made of concrete or other material, andwhich casing is subsequently filled with concrete which embeds andprotects the inclosed pile.

In the usual method of driving the exterior casing it is desirable tokeep the mud and material from entering the casing from below as thelatter is sunk to the proper distance into the mud in which the pile isdriven, as otherwise it would be necessary to excavate or pump out anysuch substances entering, before filling the space with concrete. Thisis usually attempted by the employment of a shoe of either wood or metalto seal the space between the casing and the pile, but in the use oftapered piles, the variation in the size of the pile from the todownward causes the opening around the pile to be continually enlarged,and unless some efficient, automatically adjustable protecting device beemployed, so much mud and water will enter the casing that it willprevent the proper filling of the same with concrete.

It is the object of my invention to overcome this difliculty.

As shown in the drawings, A is a pile, which may represent any structurew ich is to be embedded in the bottom'underneath the water.

2 is a casing of sufliciently larger diameter than the ile, which is tobe sunk around the latter and into the mud so .far as to prevent theentrance of destructive marine insects, and this casing is subsequentlyfilled with concrete, thus forming a solid inclosure for the pile. Theexterior casing itself may be made of concrete, wood, or other suitablematerial, and it has at the lower end a closure 3 which may be of anysuitable or desired form for the purpose.

By reason of the tapering of the pile it is necessary to so constructthe shoe that it will continually contract as the casing is lowered ordriven, and/thus inclose the pile, and at the same time present such anangle to the mud in which the casing is bein sunk, that it will forcethe latter outward y and prevent its entering the casing.

The shoe 3 is a fixed shoe suitably at-' tached to the casing orcylinder, and in connection with this I employ the automaticallyadjustable shoe 4 which is fixed to the shoe 3. The inner periphery ofthe shoe 4 is so constructed that it will contract with the constantlyreduced size of the pile, as the casing is lowered, and thus maintainthe closure around the pile which will prevent the soil from entering.This adjustable shoe may be made of rubber or metal, to suit the form ofthe fixed shoe. It is preferably made up of several ieces, and in twolayers, the outer layer over apping the joints of the inner layer, sothat while the parts are allowed to contract or expand, the joints areconstantly kept closed. I have here shown the shoe 4 with theoverlapping layers 4 disposed as above described; and these shoes arepreferably so constructed that they converge downwardly from the bottomof the fixed shoe, thus presenting an inclined or conical surface, thetendency of which is to force the mud away from the plle, while,

the pressure of the mud itself continually closes the shoe against thepile as it moves downward. I have here shown the lower edges of theseshoes as curved outwardly, or so formed as to receive a spring orsprings 6 which may be made either of metal or rubber, and which willhold the extreme ends of the adjustable shoe in close contact with thepile, in case the resisting force of the soil is not sufiicient for thepurpose; but

in any event, these springs will eatly assist to keep the shoe incontact with the pile. The details and material of this shoe are such asto suit the special requirements of the soil to be penetrated, the formof the casing or cylinder, and the shape of the pile to which it isfitted.

In order to more completely seal the junction between the pile, shoe,casing or cylinder, especially against the ingress of water, I fill partof the space between the casing and the pile with fresh concrete afterthe cylinder has been placed around the pile and before it is loweredinto the water. Sufficient concrete is used for this purpose to overcomethe upward ressure of the water while the casing is being lowered intoposition, and when this position has been reached the remainder of thespace may be filled with concrete, which will afterward harden and set,thus making a solid protection about the pile to prevent itsdeterioration or destruction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is- 1. The combination with a driven pile and a casingtherefor, of a shoe substantially closing the lower end of the casing,said shoe converging downwardly from the bottom of the casing, and meansby which the shoe is caused to clasp the exterior of the pile.

2. The combination with a driven pile and a casing therefor, of a shoeconverging downwardly and outwardly from the bottom of the casing andautomatically adjustable to maintain contact with the body of the pileas the latter decreases.

3. The combination with a driven pile and a casing therefor, of a shoefitting the bottom of the casing, a supplemental sectional shoeconverging downwardly from the fixed shoe, and elastic clamping meansfor maintaining the lower end. of the shoe in contact with the body ofthe pile.

4. The combination with a driven pile and a casing therefor adapted tobe filled with concrete, of a downwardly convergent, automaticallyadjustable shoe to force the mud outwardly and prevent its entering thecasing.

5. The combination with a driven pile and a casing therefor, of a shoemade in overlapping layers converging downwardly from the lower end ofthe casing, and means whereby said shoe is caused to automatically. fitaround the pile.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK A. KOETIT'J.

Witnesses:

CHARLES EDELMAN, HENRY PURDY.

